Smokescreen
by Ninkita
Summary: He had his reasons, and she had her secrets. It was a simple business deal… until it wasn't.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The first 4 chapters of this story were my contribution to last year's Babies at the Border compilation. There's another compilation this year, so I hope you will look up their fb page for more info on how you can help.

The first 4 chapters were pre-read by purpleC305 and beta'd by NewTwilightFan. Thank you, Chrissie and Maggie, for helping me shape up the mess that this story was! As usual I tinkered later, so that's on me. Standard disclaimers apply about not owning twilight and so forth.

This is a little different from my usual, so let's see how it goes.

**Chapter 1.**

Edward sighed in helpless frustration.

"Alice, I've told you this before and I'm saying it again. Just leave the guy. Dump his sorry ass and get on with your life. You remember your life, right? Your dreams?"

"You just don't understand," his sister sniffled, emerging from behind the pillow she was currently sobbing into, to look at him dolefully. "I love him. I can't just leave him, it'll hurt too much."

"Because you're so happy right now?" he asked, exasperated.

She glared, then dissolved into tears again. "It hurts now, but that would kill me."

"Ali, no. Just think about it for a second. All those years you put in at school, interning, working, and you finally got your chance with costuming here in LA. Do you remember how happy you were? How proud? Why don't you go back to work? I'm not even going to argue about Jasper here. I don't care about him. I do care about you, and I want to see you happy again. I want to see you living for yourself."

"I can't," she wailed, wiping away tears that refused to stop. "I don't even care about any of it without him. And I was so happy... we're going to Australia in three weeks! Two months out there, it's just what we need to get over this… bad patch we've been having. And he promised me he'd come back from the shoot and take me out for dinner tonight, just the two of us, just like old times. But he... he..."

"He's an asshole, and is probably out right now having fun with some girl, while you sit and cry at home. I know I promised last time that I'd let you handle things your own way, but I am your brother, and this is where I have to step in. Don't worry, I'm not going to beat him up or anything physical. I just think he and I need to sit down and talk."

...

Tracking down the asshole married to his sister was not the easiest task. However, Edward was determined, and doggedly followed his trail from club to club, until he finally found him in the middle of a group of revelers at a private beach party.

Edward looked on in distaste as his brother-in-law grabbed a scantily clad young thing by the waist and lay her down on a table, licking and sucking his way through a series of body shots, while the idiots around him—drunk or high, probably—cheered him on.

He gritted his teeth when he saw Jasper's hand creep up the girl's skirt while he continued to maul her neck. He quickly snapped a few shots of the two with his phone, just in case he needed to use them later—either as evidence for Alice, or leverage against Jasper—all the while wondering how best to get to Jasper and knock some sense into him without getting himself arrested.

His dilemma was solved unexpectedly. The girl Jasper had been making out with reached up and whispered something in his ear, before walking towards the restrooms. Edward did not miss the way Jasper followed her every move as she walked away, a certain glint in his eye that made Edward take notice.

Over the last couple of years, since his sister had shocked the family by her sudden marriage to Jasper just weeks after she first met him, Edward had had ample opportunity to observe the typical mating rituals the other man indulged in with his one-night stands. The man just didn't give a fuck about anything or anyone.

What he saw in his demeanor right now, however, was different. The way his eyes sought her out, and the smile when she turned to look back at him... This girl seemed to mean more to him. There was familiarity here, a warmth that he used to show Alice at one point.

Standing at the fringes of a party in a place he disliked, among people he despised—Edward wondered if he could find a way to prevent the situation from blowing up in Alice's face. He hated the man, but he didn't need much imagination to know what it would do to his sister if Jasper left her. No, against his better judgment, he had to try to give his sister what she wanted…another chance with this asshole. If nothing else, maybe he could wrangle the two or three months she was so sure could fix them.

His mind sped over his options. If he could get hold of this girl and figure out whether his hunch about Jasper's interest in her was correct… maybe he could lure her away, convince her to stay with him for the next few months, dangle her as bait to keep Jasper on the straight and narrow. It wasn't any kind of solution to Alice's troubles, but if this was what she wanted, he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to give it to her.

A plan quickly formed in his mind, but it hinged on so many variables... and the most important one was just stepping out of the restroom.

A quick glance showed that Jasper was busy laughing at something one of his friends was saying. Edward didn't waste a moment in walking right up to the girl, stumbling a little and grabbing her round the waist to steady himself.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, laughing. "I must've tripped on something. Are you ok?"

The girl looked a little shaken, but quickly composed herself. "I'm fine, no harm done."

It was not easy to guess her exact age with all the makeup she had on, but he supposed she must be in her mid-twenties. She was not very tall, but was pretty enough, with big brown eyes and pouty lips set in a heart-shaped face. She was thin... too thin in his opinion, but he knew this was the standard of beauty demanded in the circles Jasper moved.

Edward liked his women to be a lot more substantial, with a real personality if possible. He found brains attractive, as much as a body he could really hold onto. Airheaded, airbrushed waifs had never done it for him, and never would.

"Are you sure?" he pressed, turning on the charm. The way her eyes widened and lips parted slightly told him she was not immune to his looks. "You look a little shaken up. Come on, let me at least buy you a drink. I'm Anthony, by the way. Anthony Masen."

His hands were still around her bare, slender waist, and he deliberately dragged his thumbs over her smooth skin as he let her go. She shivered involuntarily and swayed a little closer, pushing out her chest a little.

"I'm Izzy Dwyer. And there's no need for that. I should probably get back to my friends; they'll be looking for me." Her voice was not as strong or sure as it might have been, and she was running a finger suggestively along the edge of her low-cut top.

"Who're you with? I don't think I've seen you at one of these parties before." It was true, if only because Edward hated the LA party scene with a vengeance and only visited when he absolutely had to. He steered her towards a couple of empty hammocks over to the side, keeping his expression as non-threatening as possible. To his relief, she followed easily.

"I'm with Jasper Whitlock," she said, but her gaze was caught up in Edward's green eyes.

"Oh? Are you one of his team, then? A budding young photographer, and so beautiful," he said smoothly, with a half-smile that he knew would draw her in.

"Um... no, I'm a model. We're out celebrating my first major magazine shoot, as a matter of fact." She flicked a glance in Jasper's direction, and the smug happiness on her face nearly made Edward lose his cool. He regrouped quickly, though.

"So, are you friends with his wife as well?" he asked casually.

Her shocked gaze swung round to his, her mouth opening and shutting as she struggled to find something to say.

"Wife? What... _Jasper's_ wife?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, acting embarrassed. "You didn't know. I'm sorry, I just... you look like a nice girl, and well, Jasper has a bit of a reputation, so I... Look, just forget I asked, ok?"

"No, tell me, please! I... I mean are you sure? You might be mistaking him for someone else. We've been together nearly three weeks now, and... are you sure?" she nearly begged, and for a moment, he almost felt bad for her.

Then her words registered, and he nearly laughed out in exultation. He had been right. Jasper, the man who never kept any of his girls around more than a couple of nights, had been with this girl for three whole weeks. She was special to him, and that was enough to silence Edward's conscience.

"Izzy," he said, looking unsure and a little regretful. "Maybe it's something you should talk to Jasper about. It's not really my place..."

She reached out and grabbed his arm. Her long, glossy fake nails gleamed dully against the cream of his shirt sleeve. "Anthony, please. Just tell me. I need to know what I'm asking him about. Please."

Edward heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He noticed how her eyes followed the action with a slightly dazed expression.

"Jasper married a rich young designer about two years ago. It was quite a whirlwind romance. He started sleeping around pretty soon after, though. Or maybe he just never stopped. Who knows," Edward shook his head, not even trying to mask his disgust. "It's a kind of sick pattern with him. He picks up a new girl every so often, takes her out, sleeps with her, and dumps her. Then he goes back to his wife Alice and begs forgiveness, behaving like the perfect reformed husband... until the next week, when the cycle begins again."

"Are... are you sure? I mean, how do you know so much? How do I know you aren't just saying this to get me away from him? What do you really want?" she asked, her voice rising and growing more strained with each word.

He gripped her arms firmly and waited till her eyes snapped back to his. "I know this," he ground out grimly, "because he did this to someone I know… someone I care about. I've watched him do this to so many girls, and each one of them is left high and dry, because Jasper fucking Whitlock is incapable of following through on his promises."

"But…What... no! It can't be true, he said... he told me he was... that he was falling for me. We're going away for a holiday in a few weeks, just the two of us. You're lying, right? You've got to be lying!"

He huffed out a laugh at her naiveté. "Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Jasper is flying to Australia in a couple of weeks, for the next two months. He is taking his wife with him, because she insisted that they need time together. So sweetheart, I don't know what line he's been feeding you, but I can guarantee it's a load of crap."

He waited for a minute, but she seemed to have been shocked dumb. He raised her chin with a finger and looked at her seriously. Her breath quickened and she licked her lips. She may have had her hopes pinned on Jasper, but she was definitely not immune to Edward either. He wanted to shove her away in disgust but instead gently smoothed his thumb over her cheek.

"What did he promise you, Izzy? A nice apartment? A high-flying lifestyle? Vacations in exotic places? Getting you in at the best parties?"

She nodded haltingly. "I've been in LA over a year and a half, and this was my first major break. I... there are bills, and I thought he really liked me. He said he wanted to take care of me. I thought my luck had changed." She looked away with a bitter laugh. "Apparently not."

Edward felt no compunction moving in for the kill.

"Izzy, I feel really bad about the whole thing. I mean, I've seen what this guy has done to my… to other girls, and now you... I don't even know how a sweet girl like you got caught up in his lies, but… Listen, I have an idea. You need money and the right contacts, and I can get you that. There's no pressure, ok, but I really think I can help you out here."

She sniffed and wiped away the moisture that had been pooling in her eyes. They were probably her best feature, Edward mused dispassionately.

"If you want to really make something of your life, call me. Here's my card. I'm not trying to push you on this, but I'm also not going to stand around waiting for you to let Jasper ruin your life."

With that, he turned and walked off, leaving her clutching his card and looking conflicted. Edward grimaced. He had no doubt that she would call. He had seen enough women like her—women who cared for nothing but their own comfort, trading in their youth and beauty for material gain. To his mind, they were nothing more than parasites, and he saw nothing attractive about their lures. Too thin, too fake, too mercenary, too caught up in an unreal world.

He drove straight back to the hotel.

He had scarcely entered his room, when his phone rang. He allowed himself one short laugh before he took the call. Of course it was her. She had taken the bait, and much as he despised her for it, he would happily reel her in.


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

The next morning, he walked into the coffee shop at exactly eight a.m. He spotted her almost immediately, sitting at a table in the corner, her fingers wrapped so tight around the cup in her hands that her knuckles were white. Walking slowly towards her, Edward took fresh stock of the girl.

In the cold light of day, he saw that she was younger than he had first thought—early rather than mid twenties, but there was very little dew left on her. She was prettier, too, but for all her undoubted beauty there was a jaded look in her eye that put him off.

It also made it that much easier to go through with his plan.

He bought himself a coffee and sandwich, then decided to get her a sandwich as well. If she was desperate enough to fall for Jasper's lines, she was probably pretty down on her luck. Between that and the unrealistic body image she clearly subscribed to, who knew when she had last eaten any real food.

"Anthony," she greeted him with a gasp, startled by his sudden appearance at the table.

"Good morning, Izzy," he greeted her softly, pecking her cheek and placing the food on the table in front of her before he sat down. "I always think better over food, so I got you a sandwich as well. I hope you don't mind."

She looked torn for a moment, then smiled… a natural smile that reached her eyes and brought out an attractive dimple at one side of her mouth. "As long as there are no berries in there," she laughed, before giving in to her evident hunger, decimating the food within minutes. Edward looked on in approval, taking a bite of his own sandwich.

"Allergic, huh?" he commented between bites. "Good to know."

"Yeah, I tend to have my pancakes plain and my smoothies unspeckled," she replied, her dry humor making his lips quirk in response.

When they were done, she leaned forward and placed her hand on his. "Thanks, Anthony."

"Edward," he responded. "Call me Edward."

She frowned and pulled back, confusion and distrust evident on her face. Her large brown eyes, which had softened considerably as she ate, now narrowed in suspicion.

"Did you look me up last night?" he asked.

She nodded hesitantly. Of course she had. That had been one of the reasons he had handed over his card, after all—so that she could see for herself that Anthony Masen, bestselling author and sometime screenwriter, was exactly the kind of person she needed on her side.

"Good. Then you know I'm not a conman taking you for a ride." He gave her his teasing half smile, which made her laugh softly, despite her evident reservations about him. When she laughed like that, it made her seem more like a regular girl and less like the opportunistic gold-digger she clearly was.

"Anthony is who I am to the public. My alter-ego, you could say. But I'm going to trust you now, Izzy... I'm going to give you a piece of my real self. My real name is Edward Cullen."

She seemed a little surprised, but then nodded. "Is that why there were hardly any photographs of you... as Anthony, I mean?"

Edward smiled. The girl wasn't completely dumb. "Yes, Izzy. I'm not even close to being as well-known as a movie star, but it's good to know that I can live my life like an average Joe on the street and there's no chance anyone will connect me with 'that famous writer guy'."

She laughed, a fresh, natural sound that once again hinted at a real personality beneath the veneer.

"I'm also Jasper's brother-in-law."

She inhaled a sharp breath. "So the girl you were talking about…"

"My sister, Alice. Yes, that's how I know so much about Jasper and his activities. Look, I think it's time we got to the real reason we're meeting today. As I told you, Jasper's leaving for Australia with Alice. Even if you choose to ignore everything I told you last night and go back to him, I seriously doubt you will get anything out of that guy. On the other hand, I have a proposition that could solve your problems and give you exactly the kind of leg up you need in this business."

He paused, letting that sink in.

"What kind of proposition?" She sat up, her doe eyes hard and calculating.

"Nothing scandalous, I promise," he said with a light laugh. "It's more of a business deal, actually. I'll need you to sign an NDA and a contract. In return for three months of your time, I will personally put you in touch with Benjamin Petra, Zia Elekias and Jonathan White. Hollywood is all about who you know, after all." He smiled, knowing that she was taken aback by the casual way he had just dropped the names of three of the most sought-after producers in the business. "Of course, I will pay you a salary for this period, as well as an additional bonus at the end of the contract."

Her eyes grew wide at the sum he quoted.

"What would I have to do?" she whispered. Edward sardonically thought that a girl like her would do pretty much anything for that kind of money. Pity he wasn't interested.

"I want you to pose as my fiancée for the next three months, effective immediately. I want you to travel back with me to my house in Westport, Washington, where we will stay for the duration. Remember, this is a business transaction, so I don't expect anything of you, personally. You will have your own room, your own space."

"Oh," she said, looking surprised. "We won't..."

"No. But you will wear my ring and stay in my house. And for these three months, I want you to cut all ties with LA. No phone calls, no emails, nothing. Believe me, the people you're associating with right now will do nothing for your career. To get ahead, you need a completely clean slate."

She fidgeted, her eyes darting around before settling on his. She looked trapped, but her greed and longing for the future he promised her were evident. After a long moment, she nodded.

"Do you have any family?" he asked next.

She looked away and took a deep breath, then shook her head.

"Nobody you want to talk to before you make up your mind?" he clarified. "Izzy, I'm a very private person, and I'm trusting you. I'm letting you into my life. I want you to be very sure of this before you agree."

"No, there's no one. Look, I'll do this... I... I think I can trust you too. I'll pretend to be your fiancée for the next three months. When do we leave?"

Edward smiled. "First things first. This afternoon, we will go buy you a ring. Then we can meet Alice and Jasper for dinner, so he knows he can't just go around using women the way he's been planning to use you. Tomorrow, we can fly out to Seattle, have my lawyer draw up the papers for our agreement. From there we'll drive down to Westport."

She sucked in a sharp breath. "Tomorrow... but do we need to meet them? Can't we just leave?"

Edward considered the point. While he was itching to rub it into Jasper's face that he had stolen the girl he wanted, there was always the possibility that she might get swayed by the asshole again. Maybe it would be better to make sure the girl was on his side first.

"Alright, I'll figure it out. You can use the evening to pack. If you box up your stuff I'll have it sent ahead. That way we can travel light."

She nodded, picking at the hem of her worn t-shirt.

"Can we stop in Seattle for the night when we reach? I don't travel very well."

He nodded. "Of course, that can be arranged. Is there anything else you need?"

"I'll need at least some of the money in advance. I have bills to clear and I'd like to buy some clothes and things. You wouldn't expect your fiancée to be dressed in rags, would you?" she said, tilting her head up. Edward nearly laughed at how transparent she was being. Of course she wanted to see the money upfront.

"I'll withdraw cash for the first month's salary as soon as we leave here. You can keep that as a guarantee that I'm good for the rest. I'll also take you shopping. Knock yourself out."

There was no disguising the gleam in her eye.

She gladly took the cash he handed her half an hour later.

She happily wore the sparkling diamond engagement ring he bought her.

She shopped at the best stores, buying herself a completely new wardrobe that he paid for, the likes of which she had coveted for years.

Edward smiled. So far, his plan was working better than he had hoped for.

…

It was late afternoon when Edward dropped Izzy at the rundown apartment she shared with three other girls. Arranging to pick her up later that night for dinner, he made his way to Alice's house.

As he had expected, Jasper was home, nursing a massive hangover. Alice, of course, was nursing Jasper, delighted to have her husband home, no matter the state he was in. Sometimes Edward seriously wondered what was wrong with his sister. His unrepentant behavior spoke volumes about Jasper's character, but in Edward's opinion, it was a worse reflection on Alice's sense of self-worth that she stayed with him despite his open and frequent indiscretions.

Hugging her brother, Alice commented, "You look much happier today. What have you been up to? Jasper said you never went to meet him last night. Where were you?"

It was the perfect opening, and Edward gladly took it.

"He wasn't the easiest person to track down. And then I met someone, we got talking, and we lost track of time." His smile was a little smug, a little secretive, and a lot satisfied. "Let's just say my evening was spent a lot more pleasantly than I had anticipated."

Alice gave a little shriek of delight and grabbed his hand. Jasper just huffed and looked bored. "You met a girl? Here in LA? I didn't think that was possible. You always date such boring, unfashionable women back home."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yes, Alice, I met a girl in LA. The unthinkable has happened. But what can I say? Sometimes these things just hit you unexpectedly."

Alice looked at him in confusion. "What hit you unexpectedly? You're talking as though..."

He grinned, his eyes sparkling. In fact, it was all he could do not to gloat about his good fortune... at having thwarted Jasper. "I think I'm in love. I'm taking her back to Westport with me tomorrow."

Jasper noted with some shock that his brother-in-law was for once not ripping into him for his philandering. Instead, he looked... happy. Of course, it was almost second nature for Jasper to try and dim that happiness somehow.

"Let me get this straight," he said, sitting up and pointing at Edward. "She's a loser who clearly can't cut it here in LA. You fell for her, which means she's probably ugly, so that isn't a surprise."

Edward stared at him for a moment. Then he threw his head back and laughed till his eyes watered. "Oh Jasper, wait till you meet my Izzy. Ugly? My girl is beautiful."

"Oh, is her name Izzy?" asked Alice, hoping to prevent another fight between her brother and husband.

Jasper sat up as if electrified. "Did you say Izzy? What does she do?"

"Yeah, Izzy Dwyer. She was a model. But as I said, she's coming home with me. Hell, you're family, so I'm going to tell you... I asked her to marry me this morning, and she said yes. So actually, she's my fiancée."

Alice and Jasper were stunned speechless, but Alice recovered first. "You're engaged? Edward! Are you sure? You just met her, and..."

"As I said, sometimes you just know it's right. I really wanted her to meet you, but everything happened so fast with us, there's been no time."

Edward looked over at Jasper and watched as comprehension dawned. Jasper's face went an ugly mottled puce. The sudden rush of angry blood made his head pound even harder, as he realized that Edward somehow knew exactly who Izzy was to him. "Excuse me, I need the bathroom," he ground out, quickly rushing out of the room, ignoring Alice's concerned voice calling out to him.

Locking himself in, he splashed cold water on his face, gripping the counter as he tried to control his breathing. The mirror reflected his anger, disbelief, and beyond that, hurt.

He reached for the pocket of his jeans, and cursed. His phone was still upstairs on the dresser. He needed to call Izzy. There must be a mistake. His head spun around in circles. How… why would she do that to him? How could she fall for someone like Edward? There was no way. No. None. Edward must have forced her into it. But he couldn't fathom how.

She knew how he felt about her, right? Sure, he had promised her a vacation, but he had to take Alice along with him to Australia. Izzy would understand. He would put her up somewhere nice and she'd wait for him. With Izzy in his life, he could stop looking around for new girls, for the most part. In the meantime, he would make nice with Alice, and everything would be perfect in his life again... Izzy would be his whenever he wanted, and Alice would be happy when he stopped sleeping around so much. But Edward... He cursed again. He really needed to do something about that meddlesome fucker.

Luckily for Jasper's temper, Edward did not stay long. He had scarcely stepped out of the door, when Jasper made a dash for the stairs. Running into the bedroom, he grabbed his phone and tapped to bring up Izzy's contact. He paced over to the window overlooking the pool, placing his pounding head against the cool glass. The call rang once, twice, before it was diverted to her voicemail. He disconnected and dialed again. It went straight to voicemail.

Jasper heard Alice calling out to him, and quickly slipped out onto the balcony. He dialed again. It went to voicemail again.

"Izzy, what the fuck is going on? Edward Cullen just came here and said you're engaged to him. Engaged, Iz? What about us? I thought you knew how I felt about you. How can you do this to me... to us? Just... talk to me, Iz."


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

Izzy stuffed the last of her clothes into the bag and zipped it shut. A quick look around the tiny room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, and she was ready to leave.

Her phone beeped with a text from Edward: '_G'mornin. I'll be there in 15_.'

She bit her lip, trying to tame the butterflies in her stomach at the thought of his green eyes. He was hot and rich, and seemed to be a good guy. God knew she hadn't met too many of those. He said it was just a business proposition, this entire fiancée charade, but there was something in his eyes when he'd first met her… and at dinner last night… that made her wonder if he might not want more after all. Of course, the fact that he might actually hold the answer to all her problems made him even more appealing.

'_I'm ready and waiting_,' she tapped out on her phone with a smile.

Her roommates weren't around that morning—Clarissa was out on a shoot, Wanda spent most nights over at her boyfriend's, and Hailey hadn't come home last night. Izzy rolled out her suitcase and parked it near the door.

She was considering grabbing a bagel to go, when a sharp knock on the door startled her. She hurried to open it, only to step back when a livid Jasper pushed his way into the apartment.

He saw the packed bag near the door and snorted. "Going somewhere, Iz?" he asked. "Weren't you even going to say goodbye?"

She fidgeted. "I... ah, Edward said he would talk to you."

"But Edward isn't in a relationship with me, is he? So I honestly couldn't care less what he says to me. I do care about you. I thought we had something real. And you're just blowing me off without a word?" He stepped closer, his voice softening. "One night with that asshole and you're leaving me? Don't do this, Iz. I need you. I love you."

Izzy took a shuddering breath. Her eyes caught in Jasper's, and for a moment, she wavered. Then the memory of Edward's revelations... Jasper's lies... hit her. Squaring her shoulders, she turned away and crossed her arms. "Really, Jasper? Did you tell that to your wife before you came here? Oh wait, I'm not supposed to know about her, am I? You've lied to me about everything so far, so forgive me if I can't believe you when you say you love me."

Jasper cut in angrily, "There's a reason I didn't tell you about her, Iz. And sure, I lied about that, but everything else was the truth. I do love you, and I know you feel the same. You're angry and I get that. I don't know what Edward has been telling you, and I'm sure he spun a pretty tale." He grabbed her arm and swung her to face him. "But don't you at least owe it to me to hear me out... to let me tell you everything myself?"

Again, his proximity confused her. She bit her lip and swayed closer. Then she regrouped, pulling away. "I don't owe you anything. I trusted you, and you played me for a fool. Seriously, it isn't about you being married… you aren't the first married man I've slept with. But the difference is that you pretended this was something more. I'm done being taken for a ride. Edward has been nothing but upfront with me. See this?" She waved her left hand under his nose. "This is the difference between the two of you. I've known him for just a day, and he's already taking care of me. What have you ever done for me, except give me false hopes? Just go away, Jasper. We're over."

"So he's bought you, and you're fine with that, but you have a problem with being with me while I'm married? That's rich, Iz," he practically snarled. "All I'm asking is for you to give me some time, not sell yourself to the first guy who comes by flashing a little money!"

She recoiled at his words, eyes wide and blazingly angry, but also a little hurt. "Oh, so now you think I'm a hooker? Very big of you to open my eyes. You can count that as your good deed of the day. Now get lost, Jasper. I don't need to listen to all this."

"Oh you will listen," Jasper bit out, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her closer. "You're mine, get that? Your precious Edward is the one who's treating you like a cheap whore. He's manipulating you, and you refuse to see it. But I'm not going to let that happen, Izzy. Just... don't go away with him. Stay. I'll set you up in a nice little apartment. Give me a little time and we'll work things out."

Before she could respond, he lowered his head and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Caught unaware, her lips parted, and he used it to deepen the kiss, licking, tasting, biting, moaning, while his hands roamed feverishly over her body, palming her ass, slipping under her shirt to stroke and cup and pinch at her breasts, his hips grinding against hers.

Edward stopped at the half-open door and shook his head in disbelief. He should have known Jasper wouldn't give up so easily. Watching Jasper's hands maul Izzy as he tried to suck off her face was a strangely fascinating, if disgusting, sight. Just as he was about to step forward, though, he saw Izzy push Jasper off. She wasn't strong enough to completely escape his arms, but her intention was clear.

Jasper was so intent on his quarry that he didn't realize someone else was in the room till he was roughly pulled away from Izzy and shoved against the wall.

"That's my fiancée you're assaulting, Jasper," said Edward quietly, his arm at Jasper's throat threatening to choke him. "I'd suggest you stay away."

Izzy shuddered as Edward jerked Jasper away from the wall and shoved him out of the door. Gasping for breath, Jasper picked himself off the dirty floor of the landing. She moved closer to Edward, unconsciously seeking his support.

Jasper saw Edward put an arm around her, and sneered. "Fine, you want to believe his lies? Go ahead, but I'm not giving up, Iz. And you," he bit out at Edward, "you're not as smooth as you think. If you hurt my Iz, I'll make sure your sister suffers."

Edward laughed. "Alice is already suffering, you asshole. And we both know you won't do anything else to hurt her. She's the one with the money, remember? If she decides to finally dump your ass, you'll be left without any of the comforts you're so accustomed to. Now quit making a nuisance of yourself and go home. My fiancée and I have a flight to catch."

He shut the door with a reverberating bang, patting Izzy's back comfortingly as she sobbed into his chest. After a while, she stepped back, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry, it was just... he was..."

"Are you ok?" asked Edward, assessing her for outward damage, and nodding when he found none. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head. "Just bruised my pride, I guess. He said you were buying me. Are you using me, Edward? Why do you want me to pose as your fiancée? Why three months?"

Edward sighed impatiently. "Izzy, of course I need you to pose as my fiancée for a reason. But the reasons are none of his concern, or yours, really. I promise to explain everything once we're back home. But look, for all intents and purposes, I'm your employer, I pay you a salary, and it's just a bonus that I like you as a person. All I need from you is a little faith. Let's just get to Westport, and you'll understand."

She nodded, feeling both comforted and a little abashed. In any case, the fact that Edward had given her a portion of the money he'd promised upfront helped quell her misgivings. She quickly tidied up her appearance, and within ten minutes, they were on their way to the airport.

...

The afternoon was dull and overcast when they landed in Seattle.

Izzy was amazed at how comfortable Edward had made the entire journey. First class in an airplane was a far cry from her dirty, dusty experience of hitchhiking to LA a year and a half back. At the airport in Seattle, he took care of their luggage, guiding her to a waiting cab.

She blinked away tears at the thought that this was how Jasper should have treated her... with care, affection, and respect... not as a dirty secret, a plaything meant for his pleasure, at his convenience. Edward, though, was everything Jasper was not. Izzy bit her lip when she recalled how he had pinned Jasper against the wall. Even in her agitation, she had noticed the play of muscles in his arm, the way his green eyes had flashed in anger. She supposed there was no shame in acknowledging that her new boss/fiancé was a very attractive man.

She was jolted out of her daydreams when the cab came to a stop outside the Four Seasons Hotel. Once again, Edward took care of checking in, and within minutes, they were led up to their rooms. Even though he had assured her that he wouldn't take advantage of her, it still came as a bit of a shock when he actually kept his word and dropped her off at her room without so much as a lewd suggestion of anything more.

"I'll be busy with work for the next few hours, but how about we meet for dinner?" he asked, handing over her key and walking across the hallway to the door opposite. He looked back at her questioningly when she didn't reply. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah," she said, looking down. "I just... I'm not feeling too good. I was thinking I'd call for room service and sleep early... if that's ok with you. Travelling just doesn't agree with me."

"No problem. Take it easy the rest of the day, and let me know in case you need anything, ok? You don't need a doctor, do you?"

"No, no need for a doctor. I'll just lie down for a bit. I'll be fine in the morning." She smiled at him and stepped inside her room.

Edward nodded at her with a slight smile, before entering his own room. He walked straight to the bed and flopped down on it, stretching out his limbs and finally relaxing. He was more than relieved that Izzy actually seemed to trust him. It would make things so much easier.

With a grin and a spring in his step, he got up and walked over to the writing desk in the corner of his room. He quickly jotted down a list of things he needed to do over the next few days. Satisfied, he nodded slightly, before picking up his phone and dialing his lawyer.

...

Edward frowned at the phone in his hand. He had called Izzy's room three times, but got no response. It was already nine-thirty, and they had agreed to meet for breakfast at nine. There was no need to get stressed, though; he would just go across the hallway and knock. Maybe she'd overslept.

However, his knocks went unanswered as well. Edward fingered the extra keycard he had been given the night before while checking in. He didn't want to just barge in on her, though, so he decided to call the front desk first.

"Miss Dwyer? Let me check, sir," said the polite voice at the end of the line. "No sir, I'm afraid there are no messages."

"I see. Well, thank you."

"You're welcome, sir."

Edward replaced the receiver of the room phone with a thoughtful frown. He was starting to get a little worried. She hadn't been feeling well the evening before. What if she had really fallen ill during the night? He grabbed the keycard and strode over to her door. The light blinked green and the door unlocked with a quiet click.

The first thing Edward noticed when he entered the room was the eerie silence. There was no one there. The bed wasn't even slightly rumpled. It had not been slept in. She must have walked out the minute his back was turned yesterday.

His eyes fell on the large, new suitcase he had bought Izzy just a couple of days back. Tossing open the lid, he saw that it seemed to be full. A quick check revealed her toiletries packed in a little sponge bag tucked into a corner of the suitcase. Wherever she had gone, it certainly seemed like she intended to return. Thinking back to her other pieces of luggage, Edward realized that she must have only taken her handbag... with all the money he had paid her.

He went over the room quickly but thoroughly, turning back cushions, checking drawers, even peeking inside the bathroom. There was no sign of her, or that she had ever been there. He growled with frustration. He had been so sure that he had her on his side now. Had Jasper reached out to her again? Or had she just decided to take the money and run? But why would she do that when in just three months time she could have got thrice that amount? It didn't really make sense anyway he looked at it, but one thing was clear. His plan, his elaborate scheming, was out of the window.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, slamming a fist down on the abandoned suitcase. The dent in the hardcase didn't make him feel much better.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**.

From the parking lot of the Shop-n-Kart on Montesano Street, Edward had a clear view of Capt'n Jack's drive-thru espresso place across the road. Tossing the groceries into the back of his silver-grey Subaru Outback, Edward walked around to the front. He paused, momentarily distracted by the sight of a 1967 Ford Mustang stopping at the drive-thru. The state of the car made him frown. What kind of an idiot owned a car like that only to skimp on maintaining it, he wondered.

He glanced at the driver, and did a double take. A woman was driving the car—a woman with long brown hair tied back into a braid. As she leant out of the window to reach for her coffee, Edward's eyes widened in shock. Unless he was greatly mistaken, Izzy Dwyer had just rolled into town.

He quickly slipped into his car and gunned the engine. He was just in time to see the Mustang turn right onto West Grant Avenue. He smoothly eased his car into the scanty afternoon traffic, and easily followed her straight to the motel a couple of streets down.

He frowned as he watched her step out of the car. It had been all of two weeks since he had seen her last... since she had skipped out of the hotel in Seattle. He hadn't bothered searching for her, though he had arranged to have Jasper tailed by a PI until he and Alice left the country. But looking at her now, he wondered if he should have tried to track her down.

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Edward considered his options. He could just go home. Izzy had his address in Westport. If she was here, chances were she was here to meet him. But what if she wasn't? Why was she at this motel if she had returned to keep up her end of their deal? And where the fuck had she disappeared to for the last two weeks? There was only one way to find out. He opened his door and stepped out.

The woman walked out of the motel reception holding a key. As she approached her car, she looked straight at Edward. Their eyes caught and held, and an unusual feeling of awareness sparked up his spine. Yet her gaze was reserved, with not even a glimmer of recognition. Ignoring his presence completely, she backed out and parked her car outside one of the units towards the end of the line. Edward watched her enter the unit before he followed, waiting another minute outside her door before he finally knocked.

He could hear a slight creak and rustle, as though of bed springs, before the door was opened a crack.

"Yes?" she said softly.

"Let me in, please," he said impatiently.

"What... why? I'm sorry, I don't know you and I'm certainly not letting you in. Please go away, before I call the police." Her voice was outraged, firm, with just the tiniest tremor underlying it.

"Stop playing games, alright? You're here in Westport, which means you came to see me. I'm here, so you may as well let me in and tell me where the hell you disappeared two weeks ago," he said, trying to rein in his frustration.

"Two weeks ago? Listen, I don't know you from Adam. I've never met you and I'm definitely not here to meet you. I saw you in the parking lot, mister. Is this what you do? Try to prey on single women in motels? Go away, creep!" she shouted, pushing the door to shut it.

He pushed back, making her redouble her efforts at keeping him out. He reached through the gap and flicked the chain suddenly, unhooking it from the door and allowing him to strong arm his way in. Before she could catch her breath enough to scream, he had shut the door and pushed her up against it with a hand covering her open mouth.

"I'm going to remove my hand, ok?" he said, trying to calm her down. "Just let's sit down and have a rational conversation. That's all I want. Nod if you understand."

Her eyes were huge pools of stormy brown, and Edward found himself again thinking of how they were her best feature. Up so close, he could see the way the irises lightened towards the edges, making it appear as though they were ringed with gold. He was so close to her that they were practically sharing breaths, and Edward was shocked at how appealing he found her natural scent, unadulterated by the overpowering aroma of perfumes and cosmetics that she had used in LA.

He was brought out of his reverie by a sharp pain in his foot, followed by a disgusting wet feeling on his palm. He jerked back slightly when he realized that she had tried to bite him, while stomping on his foot.

"Ow! What the hell?" he exclaimed, pulling away his hand and wiping it along the seam of his jeans. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? Let go of me and I'll show you what's wrong with _you_, you creep," she muttered, struggling to push him off her body. He moved one hand behind her head and another to her waist, wedging his leg between hers to stop her thrashing around. While he had only meant to hold her still long enough to make her listen to him, something primal in him reacted to the feeling of her body struggling against his, making him want to subdue her and stake his claim.

He was surprised at his reaction—he had never thought of Izzy this way before, not even when she had clearly been interested. But something about the righteous anger in her gaze, the way her breasts pushed up against his chest, and the way her slim legs framed his thigh stripped him of all reason. He swiftly closed the distance between them and sealed her lips with his own. He swallowed her scream, her parted lips allowing him to swoop in for a taste. But just a taste wasn't enough, and he stroked in again and again, teasing her tongue to play with his, nibbling on her soft lips and sucking gently to soothe the bite.

A shudder ran through her body, and she stopped resisting the onslaught of his lips on hers. Perversely, it was her capitulation that snapped him out of his haze and made him pull away, breathless and horrified at his actions.

He let her go and stepped back, eyes wide, hands restlessly running through his hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry, Izzy."

A rich, warm color had suffused her cheeks as they kissed. At his words, however, she went deathly pale and swayed slightly.

"Izzy? Are you ok?" he asked, reaching out and steadying her. "Come on, sit down here. Where's that coffee you just bought... here, drink this."

Her hands were shaking so badly that she sloshed the warm coffee onto the table.

He reached over a little hesitantly and took her cold, shaking hands in his warm ones. Rubbing them gently, he saw how much smaller than his own they were. And yet... how had he never noticed before how capable they looked? These were not the pampered, manicured fingers of a woman whose primary concern was her appearance. These hands bore evidence of hard work, but how could that be? What had she been doing these last two weeks?

His thumbs still rubbing circles on the backs of her hands, he watched her try valiantly to regain her composure. At length, her breathing evened out and she pulled her hands away.

"I'm ok. You just scared me," she said quietly. Her eyes considered him warily.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry about that, Izzy. I just..."

"Stop calling me that," she said sharply.

"What? What do you mean?"

The woman took a deep breath and said, "My name's not Izzy."

Edward huffed in exasperation. "Sure, you aren't Izzy. Who are you, Princess Diana? Seriously, just drop the act, ok?"

"It isn't an act," she protested, blinking furiously to stem the tears gathered in her eyes. She didn't succeed, and two round drops rolled down her cheeks.

Edward stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the tiled floor. "Stop. Just stop the dramatics." He paced restlessly, pushing the hair off his forehead. "Alright, tell me this. If you aren't Izzy, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to meet somebody."

"Who?"

"I'm not going to tell you that. I don't even know you," she exclaimed.

"Of all the annoying… alright, if you're going to pretend you don't know me, then fine. We'll do this your way. I'm just a concerned resident of Westport, alright? Maybe I can help you find whoever you are here to meet. Pretend you're asking me directions, or something, hmm?" he said, sitting down across from her again.

A reluctant glimmer of a laugh shone in her expressive eyes for a moment, before they clouded over again. She nodded.

"I'm here to meet Edward Cullen," she said finally. "I have the address, but you could direct me if you really want to."

He started at her openly. "Let me get this straight. You are here to meet Edward Cullen, and you aren't Izzy. You... How did you even get the address?"

She pursed her pink lips up into a moue. "That's none of your..."

"Damn it, Izzy," he growled, banging the table with his fist. "You know perfectly well that I am Edward. I'm the one who gave you that address, and I deserve some answers, so how about you drop the act and start telling me what's really going on?"

"You... you're Edward?" she seemed stunned, her lips opening and shutting soundlessly.

"Are we seriously still doing this?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You were... engaged?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, we were engaged. _Are_ engaged, as far as I'm concerned. Where's the ring, Izzy? Did you pawn it off when you ran away?" he taunted.

"No, it's here. I have it," she said, reaching for her battered handbag. "But... would you mind... could you please show me some identification?"

He rolled his eyes but pulled out his wallet. Tossing his driver's license onto the table, he watched her read it over carefully. Once she had satisfied herself, she handed it back and reached into her handbag.

"Here," she said, handing him a small tissue-wrapped object. "It's the ring. You should have it back."

He removed the paper and looked down at the ring. "Why are you returning this?"

"I can't keep it," she gasped. "The only thing I'm keeping is the money, because I figured..."

"Ah, yes. The money," he drawled, sitting back and watching her intently. "You hadn't earned that money yet, you know?"

"Earned it? What do you mean?" she sounded confused.

"Let me put it this way, Iz. Do you need money?"

She frowned, but nodded. "Yes, but I'm not..."

"Then you should know the only way I'm going to give you any is if you drop this act. I promised I'd pay you half a million, and I'm willing to keep up my end of the deal."

"Half a million dollars? Is this a joke?" she gaped at him.

"Not at all, sweetheart. It's what we agreed to, remember? Same day I got you this ring?"

She started to shake her head and he looked at her sharply, through narrowed eyes.

"Are you trying to say that you have no recollection of any of this? What the fuck, Izzy, I seriously hope you aren't going to pretend to be an amnesiac now."

"I… I can't… I'm not…" her words died out as she lowered her head into her hands, wiping surreptitiously at the tears that were trying to escape her eyes. Her slim shoulders shuddered beneath the simple cotton top, and Edward felt a strange urge to wrap her in his arms, to protect her. As it was, he couldn't help but reach out and clasp her trembling hand in his warm one.

"Hey, hey, it's ok." His soothing tone seemed to calm her down, but he still waited a moment till her breathing slowed to normal. "Look, let's make a new deal, alright? Just come home with me as my fiancée, and I'll forget about the last two weeks. Stay the duration of the contract, and I'll still give you the money we agreed on."

"Your..." She froze. "What is this? You barge in here, force yourself on me, and now you… you're propositioning me? If you… if you touch me, I'll call the police!"

Edward dragged an exasperated hand through his hair. "Will you calm the fuck down? I already apologized for the kiss, didn't I? I'm not some kind of pervert, for fucks sake!"

"What will I have to do?" she asked cautiously. "I can't… I won't sleep with you!"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "This again? We've discussed all this. What's the matter with you, girl?"

"I've told you, I'm not that girl. I'm not the Izzy you knew!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah? Then who are you?" he asked, crossing his arms in exasperation.

"I'm Isabella Swan. I've been trying to tell you that for the last..."

"Isabella... Izzy. And Swan? I thought your last name was Dwyer. Who're you trying to fool here?"

She took a deep, steadying breath, before speaking again. "Dwyer was a… stage name, I guess you could say. Anyway that's not the point. I am Isabella Swan. I'm Bella. Not Izzy. Alright?"

He glared at her briefly, almost daring her to slip over the edge of hysteria, then grabbed her handbag and emptied it onto the table. A shiny red Coach wallet tumbled out, as well as a small notebook, some receipts, chapstick, a battered black purse and other odds and ends. He made a show of picking out the red wallet, opening it and pulling out the driving license.

"Elizabeth Dwyer," he read out. He held the card up against her face, as though to check her features against the picture on the card. "Looks like you can stop lying right about now."

"That's not mine..." she started, trying to grab it from his hand.

"Then why do you have it? Did you steal it? Or did you just forget to get rid of it when you got your new, fake ID made? Look, Isabella, Elizabeth, Izzy, whatever… I'm not interested in arguing any further."

He stood and paced the small room, stopping at the window overlooking the car park. "Stay with me for the next three months. Whoever or whatever it is you're running from will never find you out here, I promise. At the end of that time, I'll pay you half a million as promised, but if you don't agree, you better pay me back the money I've given you already."

"I ca..can't do that," she stuttered. "There was an accident, and I used most of the money for doctors' fees, and..."

"Did someone get hurt?" he asked with a frown, not seeing any signs of injury on her body.

"Yes... a young boy. He's only two," she whispered, pain etched on her face.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed. "And you need to pay for surgery, I'm guessing?"

She nodded. "The doctors say he's young enough that his bones will mend well, but there were internal injuries they had to operate for, and..."

He drummed his fingers on the table. "And you got scared that word would get out about your involvement with an accident like this. So you decided to completely change your identity. It's not the smartest move you could have made." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to speak. "No, just listen to me. Stay with me for the next three months, and I'll take care of the child's medical expenses."

Her eyes lit up, though the worried frown remained on her brow. "You'd do that? I don't need the rest of the money if you could just pay the hospital bills. They wanted to call in a specialist, but I couldn't afford it. But if... are you sure?"

He observed her in puzzlement. Her accident must have really shaken her up for it to bring about such a change from the hard, ambitious woman she had been in LA. As far as he was concerned, it was a change for the better.

"I am sure. Call the hospital and set things up, I'll arrange for the payments."

"And in return, you want me to stay with you for three months as your fiancée?" she clarified.

"That's the deal," he nodded.

"I won't sleep with you," she blurted out again, blushing.

He huffed out a laugh. "I told you this before, Izzy. I don't expect you to. This isn't a real engagement! You're my employee as far as I'm concerned. You will have your own room. You just need to put up a good show when other people are around." His sudden attraction to her was beside the point.

She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I can do that," she said at last, looking up at him and fiddling with the end of her braid. "I'll have to return to Forks tonight, but I can come back in a couple of days."

"No," he shook his head decisively. "You've run out on me once already. I'm afraid I won't be so ready to trust you this time."

"But I have a life there, I can't just walk off. I need my clothes and things. I need to..."

"No," he repeated. "Either I come with you, or you arrange things from here. You do this my way now, Izzy. Or you can kiss the deal goodbye."

She stared at him in disbelief for a minute. Her eyes bored into his angrily, but his sharp gaze was just as stubborn. Finally, she shook her head and said, "Fine, have it your way. Let me make a few calls."

He stood up with a smirk. "Get on it, I'll go check out for you."

She stood staring at the door in disbelief for a long moment after he walked out. Then shaking her head, she picked up her phone from the table and dialed.

"Rose," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "No, listen, I'm fine. I found him. We spoke, and he's going to pay for the entire treatment." A couple of tears escaped her eyes. "Yes, Seth can get the best doctors now. I know, it's so much more than I had hoped for. But... ah, there's another thing I need to tell you. He's offered me a kind of job in return for the money. Yes, I couldn't just take a handout. Yes, he has a... project that I'm going to help him with for the next three months. But the thing is, he needs me to start right away. I'm not sure when I'll be able to come home. No, I know it's not so far. Yes, I'm sure once things settle down here I can get away for a weekend or something."

She startled when the door swung open to reveal the man she had just been talking about. She turned away and continued talking.

"Yeah, I'm still here. No, I'm fine. But are you sure it's ok with you? I don't want to leave you in the lurch, but this would mean so much for Seth. I know... yes, please tell him I love him. I'll call again soon. Thanks so much, I don't know what I'd do without you."

She ended the call, looking down at the phone in her hands unseeingly. She was startled out of her reverie by the soft stroke of a thumb wiping away tears she hadn't realized were trailing down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Izzy. It's only a few months. I'm sure your new boyfriend will understand." There was a glint of anger in his eyes, but she was much too worn out emotionally to care at the moment.

"There is no boyfriend. And please call me Bella."

"Are you ready to leave, _Izzy_?" he asked, walking over to her small overnight bag. "Is this all you have? Come on then, you can follow me in your car."

She just shook her head and followed him out. As she got into the car, he spoke up again. "I said this before, and I'm saying this again. Cut all ties with your LA friends. They're not going to help you get anywhere."

She frowned. "If you mean Rose, she lives in Forks, a few hours from here. That's where I'm from, as well. And that's where... that's where the accident took place." She took a deep breath. "Look, I think if you'd just hear me out once, we could…"

"No," he cut in, his expression flinty. "We'll talk at home. Unless you're going to tell me what happened two weeks ago?" He huffed a laugh at her silence. "Yeah, well. I'm going to ask my lawyer to send someone down as soon as possible. We'll talk once the NDA and contract are in place, ok princess?"

He stared at her searchingly for a beat, then shook his head and walked off wordlessly to his car. Slamming the door shut, he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. His emotions were all over the place, and he didn't know what to do about it.

He barely waited to see that she was following, before he sped off down the road.


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

The house at the end of the lane looked much the same as the others they passed—a curved driveway leading to a modest structure painted a pleasant cream with blue trim. It was definitely not the largest in the neighborhood, but it was well maintained. The property was bordered by hedges, and the yard was dotted with trees. From the front, it looked like a generic suburban home.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Edward asked, walking to the trunk of his car and retrieving his groceries.

"It's just so… normal," she blurted out, gesturing around them.

Edward snorted in amusement. "What did you expect, Iz? A castle with dungeons where I would imprison you? Clanking chains? Manacles?" He laughed outright at her chagrined expression. "The dungeons are through the garage, if you'd follow me, milady?"

She grabbed a couple of grocery bags, glared at him and walked over to the garage door. Still chuckling, he disarmed the alarm and waved her in.

The garage door opened out into a short hallway, flanked as she later found out, by the laundry room and a half-bath. A few steps and she found herself in a large kitchen. Warm wood and beautiful stone countertops, framed by a wall of windows looking out towards the back of the house… it offered an unimpeded view of the ocean, and she was entranced.

"You have a lovely house."

Her words were trite, but there was no doubting the honest appreciation in her tone. Edward opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, but something about her wistful expression had him biting his tongue instead. He started putting away his shopping quietly and unobtrusively, letting her have her moment.

He had three months to bait her if he felt like it, after all.

She joined him after a minute, helping him put away the groceries without a word. They moved around each other awkwardly at first, fumbling through the bags, reaching for the same items and in her case, hurriedly snatching back her hand as though afraid of getting burnt. Then still silently avoiding the other, they found a rhythm, automatically matching their steps to it.

He stacked the yogurt and she efficiently swiped it into the fridge. He put away the bread, and she took care of the frozen food. He emptied a bag, and she had it folded away and trashed before he'd turned around. He swung back to the counter, and saw that she'd already wiped it down. Momentum carried him forward, and his hand landed on hers. Far too close, they both stilled, their dance ending abruptly.

His eyes met hers, then flickered down to where her lips had parted slightly. Memory of their kiss shimmered in the air between them. They stilled, so close he could have kissed her again. The thought jolted him back to reality.

"Thanks," he said, immediately stepping back. He snatched up her small overnight bag from where he'd tossed it when they'd entered, and jogged upstairs.

She blinked, then followed him quickly. "Wait, where are you going?"

There was another hallway at the top of the stairs, with doors that she surmised led to the bedrooms, but her attention was drawn to the light streaming in from the right. It was an open alcove with thick carpeting, two walls lined with bookshelves, and a beautiful carved walnut wood desk. A huge picture window just beyond gave another gorgeous view of the ocean.

Edward stood at a door to the left of the passageway. "That's my study," he said. "This is your room. Your suitcase from LA is already in there, so you should have everything you need. Let me know if you want to get something else, and I'll arrange for it."

He waited for her to speak, but she just swallowed and nodded. He frowned, then continued. "The door next to your room is the bathroom. My room is across the hall, but I have an en-suite, so this one is all yours." Again, he waited expectantly, but she still didn't say a word, just nodded and looked away from his searching gaze.

The silence between them stretched uncomfortably.

"Alright," he finally said, gritting his teeth. "I'm going to leave you to it. Come down to the living room when you're ready. I'll pull out the contract for you to sign."

…

Alone in his room Edward paced from window to bed and back, trying to calm down. What was happening to him right now? Why was he so agitated?

When she'd run away, it had been frustrating, not least because of the money, and because it messed with his plans. But he hadn't even bothered to track her down. He certainly hadn't felt any of this... emotion. And she was back now... that was good for his plans. So why was he having a tough time treating her the way he had back in LA?

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. With each breath his body became a little less tense. His fists unclenched. His breathing evened out. The unconscious furrow in his brow relaxed.

Opening his eyes, he tried to think objectively of the way he and Izzy had interacted in LA. He had been friendly but businesslike, and she had been cautious, but open. They had quickly reached a mutual agreement, and there had been no excessive emotion on either side. That's what had made it so easy to come up with the plan in the first place. It worked for him, and it clearly worked for her.

That was the mindset he had to get back to. He nodded to himself, found the papers he needed, and walked down to wait for her in the living room.

…

She refused to sign the contract as Elizabeth Dwyer.

"My name is Isabella Swan," she insisted. "I'm not signing legal documents with anything but my real name."

Edward regarded her steadily, but didn't argue. He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Yes, Jenks. This is about the matter from two weeks ago. Yes, the girl from LA." He caught her gaze and held it. "I need to verify the identity of one Isabella Swan of Forks, Washington."

She didn't look away. If anything, her gaze brightened, and the hint of a smile lightened her strained expression. Edward listened with half an ear as Jenks promised to get in touch with a PI he knew in the area.

"Don't look so pleased," he said gruffly, after he cut the call. "You lied to me either way."

She nodded and looked away, but he saw her smile. Why it made him feel so out of sorts, he couldn't have said.

…

The next day he woke before dawn, to an email that didn't improve his temper much. Alastair, the PI Jenks had got in touch with, had sent him a short preliminary report about Isabella Swan.

It seemed that she was who she said she was. Twenty-four years old, graduated from Forks High School, went to community college, still lived in the house she'd grown up in… he skimmed the email grimly. No mention of LA, or modeling, or Jasper fucking Whitlock.

He sat back in his chair and sighed. It was a rushed report, he knew that. He had only asked Jenks to ask his guy to confirm her identity, after all.

Alright, so Izzy Dwyer was probably a stage name, like she had said. It didn't matter too much either way. Their arrangement actually still made sense for both of them. She needed him to pay the kid's bills, and he needed her to act as his fiancée. Nothing had really changed.

He thought for a moment; then typed out a quick response to Alastair, asking him to continue to gather information. A more detailed report on Isabella wouldn't hurt… he needed to know more in case she decided to run again. It was purely to safeguard his own interests.

The soft click of her door startled him out of his thoughts. He quickly shut his laptop and swiveled in his chair to watch her walk down the passageway.

It was still early—dawn was only now breaking over the horizon—and she seemed to be half asleep still, yawning and blinking, rubbing her eyes as she shuffled along.

She paused at the top of the stairs, turned towards the study, and smiled. For a moment, Edward stopped breathing. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, a relaxed seductive sway to her hips as she walked closer, her entire body calling out to his.

He shifted to adjust his sudden, inconvenient reaction to her appearance, and she jumped in fright.

"Oh my God! I didn't see you there," she gasped, clutching at the front of her soft, comfortably worn t-shirt.

Belatedly, he realized her long, toned legs were on display in her tiny sleep shorts. He'd been too focused on the contours of her shirt to even notice.

"Good morning," he said, when he finally found his voice. "Did you sleep well?"

She seemed taken aback by his pleasant tone. It annoyed him, but then she gave him another of those full blown smiles that lit up her eyes, and he forgot what he had been thinking.

"Morning. Yes, thanks, I didn't think I would, but I actually slept really well." Her eyes slid back to the window and the view of the ocean. "I can't believe you have such a lovely view. How do you get any work done? I could stare at the ocean all day long!"

"It's one of the reasons I bought the place," he responded quietly, his attention still fixed on the way her face glowed in the early light.

She nodded in understanding and moved closer to the window, her fingers trailing along the edge of his desk. He shivered in reaction. She said something, but he couldn't focus on the words.

He gritted his teeth, wondering if that was how she made Jasper feel; her allure was intangible, yet the pull on his senses was so strong he had to grip the arms of his chair to stop himself from reaching out to feel her hair… her skin.

He stood abruptly, startling her. He couldn't worry about that though, not when his only thought was to get away.

"Edward!"

He stopped reluctantly and inclined his head slightly. He could maintain some dignity, after all.

"Is it… do you want me to not…" She shook her head and started again. "It's your study, I get that. If you don't want me to come here, I won't. Just tell me. I promise I won't get into your space."

She looked confused and worried. Edward felt as though he'd been doused with cold water.

"You're right, I'm not used to having anyone else in my space, and especially not up here," he agreed, holding up a hand when she made to move away from the window. "But you're going to stay here for the next three months, and you're going to pretend to be my fiancée. We will have people staying over, and we have to be convincing in our act. I'll try to be less… prickly," he promised, smiling in response to the twitching of her lips. "When I'm working, I prefer not to be disturbed, but otherwise, feel free to use this space. You can borrow a book or if there's something else you need, just let me know."

Her smile hit him right in the solar plexus. "Thank you. This situation has been… unexpected, but I'll try to do my best, I promise."

He nodded, and with a slight wave walked back to his room.

…

She watched him go, then slumped onto the window seat weakly. His mood swings were giving her whiplash.

How was she going to survive the next three months with a man who commanded such an emotionally charged atmosphere? Worse, how would she stay sane when each time he was near, he made her mind go fuzzy, as though claiming all her attention, till she was barely aware of the rest of the world?

She had to try harder. She couldn't give in to the pull, no matter how strong it felt. This was only a means to an end, and she needed to remember that.


	6. Chapter 6

**6.**

It was proving to be a long week for Edward. Having someone else in his space was harder than he had thought it would be. Part of the problem was, of course, that he was strongly aware of every little thing she did.

This awareness was uncomfortable.

His preoccupation with his new fake fiancée was distracting.

He watched her move about the house, tidying, dusting, polishing. He had thought his house quite adequately maintained, but her vigor made 'adequate' seem like a dirty word.

He asked, then outright commanded her to stop wearing herself out cleaning. She ignored him.

"I can't just sit around," she insisted. "I need to do something. Let me."

So he watched as she cooked. He watched as she smiled wistfully at the wall of books in his study, then took a feather duster to the shelves. He watched when he should have been working.

She didn't seem to notice.

He, of course, noticed every little thing. Like the fact that so far she had not worn even one of the new outfits she'd bought in LA. Instead, she was washing and wearing the two t-shirts and one flowery cotton blouse she seemed to have brought with her from Forks. It annoyed him that she did it, and it annoyed him that he noticed.

When he brought it up (because of course he did), it annoyed her as well.

His casual comment resulted in fifteen minutes of a rapidly escalating argument.

"I'm not wearing those clothes," she insisted. "I have my own. And you are the one who wouldn't let me go back home to Forks to pack more. So deal with it."

"Why're you being so stubborn?" he fired back. "You picked these out yourself. So why are you behaving like you can't touch them?"

"Why are you so interested in what I wear? Oh, are you afraid you might run out of detergent or something? Fine, I'll buy my own."

"What? How is that even an argument? Stop avoiding my question."

"What question? You don't get to question what I wear!"

"I get to question whatever the hell I want in my own house!" he roared.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Fine, I'll leave, shall I? You're the one who's keeping me here. Give me a call when you need a fiancée. I might decide to come back."

He grabbed her arm and tugged her closer. "Don't. You. Dare."

"Don't try me," she scoffed. "And don't _you_ dare shout at me again."

"So stop being so damned… stubborn!"

"Stop being so hung up on my clothes!" she shot back.

"I'm not the one who's got hang ups, sweetheart," he laughed, making her scowl. "Have you even bothered to open the damned suitcase since you got here?"

She jerked out of his hold and glared at him some more. "Hang ups. Hah! Don't get me started on yours." She held up a finger against his mouth before he could get another sharp retort out. "And I did open the suitcase. It's full of very nice clothes, sure, but there isn't really anything I can wear to work around the house! So either you let me go back to Forks and pack something of my own, or you just get used to seeing me in these."

He flicked her finger away. "I'll buy you something here."

"You're not buying me anything!" her eyes flashed a warning. "All I want is for you to pay the hospital bills. I'm not accepting anything more. Not money, not clothes, and certainly not your opinions."

"You're not roaming around my house looking like a charity case either," Edward insisted, stepping closer and effectively pinning her against the bookcase. "Just wear the clothes we bought in LA. You're so worried about spending my money now. What about the money you made me spend on those clothes? You're okay with just wasting that?"

The fight seemed to go out of her suddenly. He watched as she slumped against the bookcase, the way she turned her head away and let her hair swing forward, hiding her expression.

For some reason, his annoyance trickled away as well, leaving him feeling curiously empty.

He hesitated a moment, his hand reaching up to smooth away her hair, to turn her face back towards him, but he stopped himself just in time. He took one step back, and then another. He decided to ignore the pang of… something… in his chest at the way she seemed to relax the farther away he got; the way she finally looked up, but not at him. She bit her lip, clearly biting back more words, and he almost regretted the argument they weren't having at that moment.

He turned back to his desk and pretended he didn't follow every step she took away from him.

…

The next time they came face-to-face was at dinner a couple of hours later. She didn't immediately look up from the salad she was tossing, so Edward had ample time to notice and silently admire the picture she presented. She hadn't changed out of her jeans and t-shirt, her hair was pulled back in a messy braid from which wisps escaped wildly, and she hadn't a lick of makeup on as far as he could tell. She was so very different from the polished, poised woman he had met in LA, and yet his earlier assessment was just as true now… she was so very pretty. Whenever she looked at him with those big doe-eyes, he thought she was beautiful. But when she stood up to him and those eyes flashed fire and defiance? Then she was nothing short of mesmerizing.

She looked up and caught him staring. For a moment her eyes widened, lips tightened in a little pout, and her entire frame stiffened almost imperceptibly. Neither of them looked away, though. Instead, they stayed right where they were, while the world continued to spin on its axis, and the waves continued to crash on the shore, and the seconds ticked away quietly.

He watched as her gaze softened. He saw the moment she let go of her annoyance from their earlier argument, the way she let out a little sigh and her lips quirked with the ghost of a smile. Unconsciously, his own posture relaxed and he stepped forward to take the salad bowl from her unresisting fingers.

Dinner was quiet, not a word exchanged between them. Strangely, it wasn't the least bit uncomfortable. Like the first day he had brought her home, they worked in a wordless synchronicity that was purely intuitive. He refilled her empty water glass a moment before she reached for it; she saved him the crispy edge of the casserole, which was his favorite part, even though he'd never mentioned it to her. When she got up to take her dishes to the sink, he was up and had grabbed her fork before it fell off her plate. Then he swept all the dishes out of her hands and proceeded to rinse and stack them in the dishwasher while she dealt with leftovers and wiped down the table. Shutting off the water, he turned and shook out his wet hands, startling her with the unexpected spray.

Her yelp made him grin… which made her glare… and before they knew it, they were both shaking with laughter, leaning side-by-side against the counter.

She nudged him, and he turned his head towards her.

"Want to come down to the beach for a walk?" The words were out before he even realized he'd spoken.

She grinned back at him, and nodded.

…

"Just promise me you won't sulk like that again," he insisted. "You were seriously scary, with your death glares."

She gasped and pushed him playfully. "I was not! You're so annoying! Why are you so annoying?"

"What, me? Annoying? No way, I'm the most charming guy around," he teased, reaching for her hand and helping her scramble over some rocks. "Careful, they're a little slippery."

"You're the only guy around," she said pointedly. "Thanks, though. I can be a little clumsy sometimes."

"Really? I thought I imagined you tripping over air back there," he turned and pointed.

"Don't rub it in!" she pouted. "It just happens sometimes when I'm not paying attention, that's all."

He laughed and grabbed her hand, tugging her away from another half-hidden rock. Their hands fit comfortably together, and she didn't pull away. Off to the right, the sun lazily melted away into the horizon, painting both water and sky in muted shades of orange and pink, purple and grey.

"Does that happen often?" he asked after a moment. "Not paying attention, I mean."

"Well, not so much now, but I did tend to be a bit of a space cadet when I was a kid. I was in my own head a lot and I have plenty of scars to show for it. Here," she stopped and turned towards him, using their joined hands to point to her left elbow. "I don't know if you can see it in this light, but I have a two inch long scar here."

He shook his head. "Can't really see it, but how'd you get hurt anyway?"

"Ah, I was fourteen. I had just finished reading Wuthering Heights, and I was still caught up in the atmosphere of that story, the romance and heartbreak, and just all that _emotion_, you know?" He nodded, enjoying how her eyes lit up with excitement at the memory. "I walked out of the front door to go to school one day, completely missed the steps and landed flat on the driveway. I had cuts and bruises and a broken arm. I got lucky, actually; it could've been a lot worse."

He reached out a hand to caress the soft skin of her elbow, and felt it—a slightly different texture against his fingertips. He felt the way his touch made her shiver. She looked away, towards the waves that kept rushing in towards them. She didn't physically move, but in that moment, he felt her withdraw emotionally from the warm camaraderie they had found, and realized that he didn't want that. He didn't want her to build up a wall of cool indifference towards him. He didn't want them to go back to being strangers tip-toeing around each other, polite and frustratingly distant.

"I didn't have any major injuries till I was seventeen," he blurted out. Her gaze snapped back to his with a look of surprise. "I must've been really lucky or something, because I barely ever so much as scraped a knee."

"Wow, I can't even imagine that… a life without band-aids covering some or the other part of the body? Sounds like a fairy tale," she giggled. "So, what happened at seventeen? Sports injury? You look like you played a sport."

"I did play, several sports actually. I was into soccer and tennis, was on the swim team, chess team, I picked up Ice hockey when we were in Chicago for a few years," he trailed off, idly swinging their hands as they walked.

"First time I've heard someone list chess as a sport alongside swimming and soccer," she said with a smile. "Not picking on you, by the way. I used to play with my dad all the time."

"Tell me if you ever feel like a game."

"I will." Her smile felt like sunshine, but the light around them was fading fast.

"We should head home. The stairs are steep and it's going to get dark real quick."

…

They could hear the phone ringing as they neared the house. Edward frowned. Hardly anyone called on the landline any more.

As he opened the back door and ushered her in, the ringing stopped and a few moments later started up again.

"Wow, sounds like someone's desperate to reach you," Bella commented, frowning as the ringing abruptly stopped.

Edward hummed in agreement and tossed aside the light jacket he had worn to the beach. He strode into the kitchen and picked up his cell phone from where he had left it to charge. Twenty missed calls and fifty seven new texts from a couple of unknown numbers. Before he could even unlock his phone, the landline started ringing yet again.

"Hello?" he grabbed it on the second ring.

"Where is she? Where is she, you fucker?"

Edward clenched and released his fist. The urge to punch something was strong. "None of your business, asshole," he replied evenly. "Stop calling me."

"Just… is she alright? Let me talk to her for a minute. Just one minute," he sounded strange… frantic, wound up.

"Where's Alice?" Edward gritted out.

"She's out shopping. She's fine. I'm taking care of her, alright? Now let me talk to Izzy."

Edward saw her walk into the kitchen through a red haze. His eyes didn't waver from hers as he answered. "My fiancée is fine, thank you. She really doesn't want to talk to you, though. No, shut up and listen to me. If you hurt Alice… if you so much as think of Izzy again, I will end you."

He cut the call and removed the cord from the phone. Bella followed slowly as he strode upstairs and tugged the cord out of the study phone as well.

"You haven't been in touch with him, then? That's good," he said almost calmly, staring down at his phone and scrolling through the barrage of texts he had got.

She bit her lip, then ventured, "Who…?"

Edward gave a short laugh and turned to her. "Jasper, who else."

"Jasper… Whitlock?" she asked haltingly, eyes dark in her suddenly pale face.

Edward nodded, noting that she didn't seem happy to hear about Jasper at all. That was good. "Don't worry about him," he finally said. "We have a bigger problem right now."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Your acting skills are about to be put to test, Ms Dwyer. My evil stepmother has decided to visit this weekend."


End file.
